5 star players to watch out for Ranchi Rays

The reigning champions of the League the Ranchi Rays look a formidable unit before the start of the 2016 edition of the competition with the likes of Ashley Jackson ,Manpreet Singh in their ranks.Here’s a look at the 5 stars players for the Harendra Singh-coached Ranchi Rays.

#5 Birendra Lakra

He is the unsung hero of the Indian team. This Odisha lad, who started his career as a forward before switching to the defender role, was the biggest finds of the country’s World league campaign. Employed with BPCL, Birendra will be the man to watch out for in Ranchi Rays’ defence at the Coal India Hockey India League

#4 Manpreet Singh

It won’t be a tall statement if one suggests that he is the desi version of Ashley Jackson. His core strength is midfield but as we have seen he can play as a forward as well not to speak of his highly effective passes inside the opposition He is good in defence as well and often shields the citadel during short corner set-pieces. What's more, he can score from his drag-flicks a highly versatile player.

#3 Ashley Jackson

He is a player every franchise would love to have. The English playmaker a double World Cupper and double Olympian is deadly with his short corner drag-flicks as well with his killer passes besides his resilient defence. Ranchi Rays always enjoys a competitive edge owing to the presence of Jackson. With the presence of Sandeep, Ranchi Rays may want him to control the midfield and set up goal-scoring passes for his team-mates

#2 Sandeep Singh

He may be out of favour with the national selectors for the past two and a half years, but it had no impact on the Hockey India League auctions as Ranchi Rays went all out to snap him up for $81,000. Sandeep will be Harendra Singh-coached Ranchi Rays’ big penalty corner weapon in the Coal India Hockey India League. A powerful performance laced with huge chunk of short corner goals and superb defending should be the recipe Sandeep should be looking at to force a national comeback

#1 Barry Middleton

The most capped player of England and Great Britain, Middleton carries loads of experience to the Ranchi Rays side. The 31-year-old midfielder-cum-attacker, who broke Russel Garcia’s record of 307 internationals in 2014, will be the fulcrum around which Ranchi Rays’ attacks will revolve. The triple World Cupper and triple Olympian, who was captain at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 World Cup, will have much to offer to the vastly talented Ranchi Rays side